On the first day of your period you’ll feel extroverted and
bold, thanks to a rise in the feel-good hormones oxytocin, testosterone and
oestrogen. Your libido should be amped, too, so aim for all the pleasure you
can. Woman-on-top is ideal because your clitoris is extra sensitive and you can
control the depth and angle while he lies back and enjoys the view. If things
get messy, throw a towel on the bed or take a shower before you get busy.

Day 2: Indulge in slow,
sensual sex

You’re feeling good, because oestrogen and testosterone continue
to rise today. “Oestrogen magnifies the five senses, so kisses feel more
intense and your man looks more attractive to you, making sex a total mind-body
experience,” says Gabrielle Lichterman, author of 28 Days. Light some candles,
play slow tunes and satisfy each other from head to toe.

Day 3: Pamper him

“A surge in testosterone boosts your confidence in your union
and makes any annoying habits your partner may have seem less grating,”
Lichterman says. (His snoring may not become cute, but you get the idea.) So
treat him to a spine-tingling massage. There’s no doubt he’ll return the
favour.

Day 4: Think outside the
box

Your right brain is famous for giving you creative ideas, and
today tiny levels of rising oestrogen and testosterone boost the odds you’ll
use this side of your mind. “You’re apt to feel more imaginative when it comes
to brainstorming or making decisions,” Lichterman says. Your creativity will
spill into the bedroom, too.

“Your right brain may have been in charge yesterday, but today
oestrogen and testosterone will increase even more, shifting the power to your
analytical left brain,” Lichterman says. Testosterone also makes you
competitive. Use that bold streak to challenge him to a naughty game, such as
strip poker. If you win, so does your libido: according to a study published in The
Journal Evolution and Human Behaviour, conquering a guy elevates
your testosterone levels by 49%, making you even more amorous.

Day 6: Bond with your guy

By now, you should be feeling calm, rational and remarkably
clear-headed. “Oestrogen gets another boost, making you social and articulate,”
says Prof Jed Diamond, author of The Irritable Male Syndrome.
So take advantage of your way with words and tell your guy exactly why you love
him. He’ll eat it up.

Day 7: Sync up your sex
drives

You’re still chatty due to elevated oestrogen levels, and as an
added perk, “your energy will skyrocket”, Lichterman says. Since guys are often
raring to go in the morning (their testosterone levels peak in the a.m.), take
advantage of your extra adrenaline and hop in the shower.

Week 2

Day 8: Have a quickie

Many women refrain (unnecessarily) from having sex until their
periods are finished. Make up for lost time by getting busy in the middle of
the afternoon, or pull him into an empty room during a party for some instant
action.

Day 9-14: Fixate on him

You’ll start getting a big boost of oestrogen and testosterone
during these six days, making you especially flirty. Your voice even becomes
higher-pitched during this time, according to research. Because back in caveman
days, choices in men were limited, and once ovulation occurred, women needed a
coy way to snag a man during the final push. One potential problem: you may
also have a wandering eye. Scientists say women fantasise about other men 160%
more mid-cycle – yet the study authors found that women initiate sex with their
partners a lot more during this time too. Keep the lights on so he has your
complete attention and gaze into each other’s eyes during missionary.

Welcome to pre-PMS (think PMS but shorter and less intense).
Rising levels of noradrenaline and declining levels of testosterone and
oestrogen may make you irritated and jealous when your guy drools over Gal
Gadot. It’s biological: during days 12 through 21, women are super catty when
it comes to judging the appearances of other women. “Evolutionarily speaking,
when fertile women were competing for a mate, criticising other females may
have helped catch him,” says lead study author and psychologist Prof Maryanne
Fisher. Tune out other women by holing up together with takeout and a bottle of
wine.

Day 17: Have solo sex

In order to combat the dip in oestrogen and testosterone and the
rise in progesterone, you’ll need to take matters into your own hands. “Your clitoris
and nipples may be less sensitive now and orgasms are slower to occur and
weaker,” Prof Diamond says. Let him watch you masturbate: he’ll get off on the
visuals and you’ll be turned on by his gaze. According to psychologist Prof
Marta Meana, women can become aroused when they’re the object of desire.

Day 18: Cuddle up

Warning: although testosterone starts to rise again today, a
boost in progesterone still has you feeling more cuddly than carnal, so unplug
your phone, snuggle down with your guy and rent a chick flick. Girlie movies
raise levels of oxytocin (the “snuggle hormone”) in both men and women, and
research from Kansas University found that guys like rom-coms too. (Shh!)

“For these two days, your urge to nest and unwind may be
stronger because progesterone levels jump, damping your desire to socialise,” Lichterman
says. Why is progesterone such a downer? According to Lichterman, it drains
your energy, lowering the risk that you’ll go out and damage your uterus in
case fertilisation has occurred. Relive the early days – stay up all night
talking and then stay in bed all day.

Day 21: Cook a romantic
meal for him

You may find yourself wandering into the kitchen more than usual
right now. Progesterone has caused an appetite spike, making you crave baked
goods, salty treats, fats and carbs. The reason: your hormones want your body
to be baby-ready in case you got preggers during ovulation. And according to Dr
Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, an ob-gyn, women need a certain amount of fat for optimal
fertility. So why fight nature? Whip up a candlelit comfort meal for two.

Week 4

Day 22: Tweak the usual
positions

You may have to work a little harder to orgasm today because
progesterone is blocking your testosterone receptors. So try this surefire way
to stimulate your G-spot, says Prof Sandor Gardos, founder of the online adult
toy store mypleasure.com: “Start by straddling your guy while you face his
feet. Once you’re comfortable, lean back so you’re lying flat on top of him.”
Then enjoy the ride.

Day 23-24: Set the mood

That inevitable time of moderate misery has come: PMS. Declining
levels of progesterone and oestrogen from days 23 through 28 can make you weepy
– or bitchy. If you’re not feeling psyched about your body right now (bloat can
do that to a girl), wear your hottest lingerie, dim the lights, or do whatever
it takes to feel sexy. Just don’t get a bikini wax. Researchers found that
women are extra sensitive to pain at this time of the month. The good news is
that scientists say that during sex, men focus on a woman’s face more than her
body – meaning he won’t notice that you’re retaining two kilos’ worth of water.

Chances are, you’re feeling frisky. “One reason is that your
endometrium [the lining of the uterus] is thickening, promoting blood flow to
your genitals, which boosts libido,” Dr Gilberg-Lenz says. And although your
orgasms should be intense, it may take longer than usual to get there because a
decline in oestrogen and testosterone will leave you easily distracted by your
surroundings. Try a little dirty talk to stay in the moment and make sure the
door is locked – scientists found that when women remove outside distractions they
become aroused in 12 minutes flat.

Day 26-28: Conquer new
territory

Your boobs may ache (tell your guy hands off today), but “your
endometrium continues to thicken, stimulating your nerve endings down below,
which increases your libido significantly,” Lichterman says. Since creativity
is at an all-time high, it’s the perfect time to discover new erogenous zones.
Experiment with various types of touch on your favourite body parts.